The Definition Series
by ShortieMonster
Summary: A series of unrelated one-shots that are based on uncommon and unique words. Will be multiple genres and multiple characters. R&R! Chapter 1 - Onychophagia


**A/N: Hey FanFictioners! This is a new series I will be starting. It's called the Definition Series and it will be a series of unrelated one-shots that are based around unique and uncommon words. I got this idea from my friend _Crown of Diadem_ who has a series similar to it but for The Hunger Games. I hope you like this and please tell me your thoughts! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Onychophagia**

Elizabeth Sutton was a genius. She was the smartest girl at Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women and under no circumstances was Elizabeth Sutton _ever _stressed. (There was that exception of one semester of Cove Ops, but let's face it, Liz was never cut out for field work.) No, Elizabeth Sutton was right at home in the lab or behind a laptop screen and she wouldn't have swapped it for anything else in the world. No, stress was probably not even in Elizabeth Sutton's vocabulary, much less an experience she had ever endured.

_Why was she suffering from onychophagia then? _

* * *

"Cammie! Macey! Rebecca!" shrieked a voice.

The aforementioned girls shot out of bed and each took a fighting stance. Someone was in their dorm and they had gotten to Liz. Bex scoped the room, looking for any big, bulky men wearing black that had gotten hold of her best friend and were holding her captive. But after scoping the room twice she found none.

Instead she saw Liz frantically looking through a stack of books the size of Big Ben. (Ok, so _maybe _it was only 67.5 cm high.)

"For crying out loud Lizzie," Bex said, her British accent strong, "What's wrong? I thought you were being attacked!"

"I am! I'm having a cardiovascular attack!"

"Really Liz? A heart attack?" Macey looked sceptical. She'd righted herself to her normal posture and was walking back to her bed.

"What happened Liz?" Cammie asked, "What are you looking for?"

"It's the end of the world Cammie! I've lost my chemistry notes from last class!"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed everyone but Liz.

To clarify, Elizabeth Sutton was somewhat of a neat freak. No notes in the wrong file, no pens in the wrong pencil case. She was extremely neat and excessively organised. Never in the history of the world had Elizabeth Sutton lost anything, _especially_ class notes.

"That can't be right! Maybe you just put them in the wrong folder!"

"Yeah, Cammie's probably right. Have you checked?"

"Bex, I've been going through my folders for 45 minutes searching for them. They. Are. Not. There!" Liz articulated.

"But- how- You probably-That isn't possible-"

"Guys!" shouted Macey, "Maybe she just…_lost_…them?"

Bex studied Liz. There was no _way_ the slight, blonde girl in front her would have just _lost_ her chemistry notes. Something was definitely up.

As Bex continued to study Liz something seemed to 'click' in her brain.

"Liz, you got up early this morning didn't you. Where'd you go?"

"Oh, I was down in the lab for 2 hours. Dr Fibs and I have been working of perfecting our molecular structure for-"

"Ok, we get. Wait, you were in the labs, did you use your chem notes?"

"Yeah, we were using the theory we learnt last lesson and…oh my gosh! My notes are in the lab!"

All the girls collectively sighed.

"Come on. Let's go get them."

As the girls were leaving the room, Macey saw something that deeply disturbed her. She yanked Liz's wrist up to her face.

"Liz! You have been biting your nails! Why are you biting your nails?"

"Huh? Oh, I dunno. It must have been a once off, Mace. I don't even remember biting them."

"I better not see you biting them again."

"I won't Macey."

And with that the girls walked to the labs.

* * *

The girls carefully watched Liz throughout the rest of the day.

Liz bit her nails at breakfast.

Liz bit her nails at lunch.

Liz bit her nails through all her classes.

And Liz continued biting her nails throughout dinner.

When the girls went to confront her about her nail biting, they found her sitting on her bed, looking over lesson notes, biting her nails. By now Liz had bit her nails raw.

"Hey Liz," started Cammie, "Have you been…_stressed._..lately?"

Liz looked up from her notes.

"What? No! Why would you think that?"

"Well, I've known you since 7th grade and you've never had the habit of biting your nails. I thought maybe you were nervous about something."

Liz removed her hand from her mouth.

"I'm not nervous. I have no reason to be."

"You sure?" countered Bex, "Is there _anything _that could possibly have gotten you stressed?"

"Well ummm…oh! I know what it must be!" Liz sighed, "I heard the teachers talking about possibly not giving out extra credit this term and I've been worried that if they don't my mark is going to be 2.34% lower than usual. I really need that extra credit."

Macey sighed.

"So you've been doing lasting damage to your nails over _extra credit_?"

"Yeah, but extra credit is important. Headmistress Morgan has agreed with me countless times."

"Yeah, we know Liz. We know."

"So I guess we now know how to tell if you're ever nervous now", said Cammie, "You bite your nails."

"Yeah, I must have onychophagia."

* * *

_**Onychophagia:**_

_**The practice of biting one's nails as a habit or due to an emotional disturbance. **_


End file.
